A OF AN EXTENSIVE & VALUABLE COLLECTION OF BOOKS, IN ANCIENT AND MODERN LITERATURE, COMPRISING THE HOLY SCRIPTURES IN VARIOUS LANGUAGES, ENGLISH AND FOREIGN ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHY, POLEMICAL AND PRACTICAL THEOLOGY, AND A COLLECTION OF SERMONS; ENGLISH, WELSH, SCOTCH, AND IRISH HISTORY AND TOPOGRAPHY, INCLUDING ANGLO-SAXON LITERATURE. ALSO WORKS OF ARCHITECTURE, COINAGE, AND HERALDRY, Arranged under their respective heads; GREEK AND LATIN CLASSICS AND TRANSLATIONS, LEXICOGRAPHY, GRAMMARS, PHILOLOGY, &c.; MATHEMATICS, VOYAGES AND TRAVELS; AND MISCELLANEOUS ENGLISH AND FOREIGN LITERATURE; INCLUDING THE LIBRARY OF DR. GEORGE HOOPER, Bishop of Bath and Wells, 1703-27, AND OTHER RECENT PURCHASES, The greater part in remarkably fine condition, and the whole warranted perfect, unless otherwise expressed; NOW ON SALE AT THE PRICES AFFIXED, BY WILLIAM STRONG, CLARE STREET, BRISTOL; AND FORE STREET, EXETER. MDCCCXXXV. OF THE CHARACTER OF BISHOP HOOPER. "Ergo Quintilium perpetuus sopor HOR. CARM. Lib. I. Od. 24. THE chief portion of the Books described in the following Catalogue, are from an old library originally formed by Dr. HOOPER, Bishop of Bath and Wells, in the early part of the last century. His death took place at the seat of the Newborough family, at Berkeley, near Frome, then in the possession of T. Prowse, Esq., through marriage. Bishop Hooper's daughter having married into this family, the library came into her possession, at his death, in 1727; and it has remained at Berkeley, until its recent purchase by the present proprietor. As little appears to be generally known respecting BISHOP HOOPER, it may not be uninteresting to our readers to be informed of some of the chief particulars of his life and character. The following extracts are therefore given, from "The Character of Bishop Hooper," which appeared in "Mist's Journal," October 21, 1727. The article is dated from " Somersetshire," and signed, "Orthodoxus," i. e. Dr. Thomas Coney, Prebendary of Wells, &c. "DR. HOOPER was born in Worcestershire, educated in Westminster School, elected from thence a Student of Christ Church, and proceeded regularly through all his degrees in the University of Oxford. He was successively Chaplain to Bishop Morley and Archbishop Sheldon, and presented by the latter to the Rectory of Lambeth and the Precentorship of Exeter. Upon the marriage of the Princess Mary with the Prince of Orange, he was appointed one of her Chaplains, and went with her into Holland; and after the Revolution, was promoted, by her interest, to the Deanery of Canterbury. Whilst he was in this post, he was unanimously chosen Prolocutor of the Lower House of Convocation, and became a zealous defender of the rights and privileges of the English Presbyters. Upon the accession of Queen Anne to the throne, he was first advanced to the Bishoprick of St. Asaph, and afterwards translated to the see of Bath and Wells. Here it was that he was received with the universal applause both of the clergy and laity, and by the future conduct of his life, verified that saying of his Master Busby, that Dr. Hooper was the best scholar, the finest gentleman, and would make the compleatest Bishop, that ever was educated in Westminster School. “His learning was not smattering and superficial, but solid and universal: and no man can doubt of this, who had ever the happiness of his private conversation, or the pleasure of perusing his public writings. His talents were so great in every distinct part of knowledge, that the masters of each faculty have thought their profession to be the Bishop's peculiar study. The lawyer might suppose him bred to the bar, |